A former press secretary for California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas has filed a lawsuit alleging she was fired in retaliation for reporting misconduct. Cynthia Moreno, who previously worked for the speaker, claims in her suit that she submitted a complaint earlier this year to the Legislature accusing both Robert Rivas and his brother, Rick Rivas, of bribery and other ethical violations.
According to the filing in Sacramento County Superior Court, Moreno also reported a separate case of alleged sexual harassment by another staffer last year. She alleges that after making these reports, she faced retaliation including being denied a pay raise, being falsely accused of misconduct, and ultimately being terminated from her position last month.
“Speaker Rivas retaliated against Ms. Moreno for reporting illegal, unethical, and harassing conduct,” the lawsuit says. “Speaker Rivas did not simply terminate Ms. Moreno’s employment, but used the power of his office to retaliate against her publicly.”
Moreno is seeking reinstatement to her job in the Assembly along with back pay, benefits, and a public apology.
Rick Rivas did not respond to requests for comment regarding the allegations. Both Robert Rivas and the California Assembly have denied any wrongdoing related to Moreno’s dismissal.
Elizabeth Ashford, spokesperson for Speaker Rivas’ campaign, stated: “The vast conspiracy theories included in this filing are absolutely false,” she said. “We will fight these false and defamatory claims aggressively, and we are confident they will be seen for what they are: absolutely meritless.” Ashford added that Speaker Rivas had “no role” in Moreno’s employment and described the lawsuit as “an attempt by a former employee to force a payout.”
The suit further alleges that after Moreno reported sexual harassment allegations last year—allegations which were reportedly substantiated by the Workplace Conduct Unit—she was stripped of certain job responsibilities. However, according to another former staffer cited in court documents, those allegations were not substantiated.
Last month, the Assembly Rules Committee notified media outlets that Moreno had been terminated following findings from an investigation conducted by the Workplace Conduct Unit. The committee said that she “repeatedly made inappropriate comments of a sexual nature” toward staffers but did not disclose specific details about those allegations. The termination letter cited both those findings as well as “her lack of candor during the investigation” and noted “the high-visibility” of her position as factors leading to her dismissal.
Lia Lopez, chief administrative officer of the rules committee, dismissed Moreno’s complaint as unfounded: “I am confident that Ms. Moreno’s claims regarding ‘unethical or illegal practices’ by Speaker Rivas or his brother and complaints about current Assembly employees will be disproven in a court of law,” she said in a statement.
Lopez explained that allegations against Moreno were independently investigated by the Workplace Conduct Unit; she also stated that Robert Rivas recused himself from any involvement with either investigation or subsequent decisions related to them.
Moreno’s lawsuit additionally claims that campaign contributions and lobbying efforts involving organizations employing Rick Rivas influenced decisions made by Robert Rivas.
